Personal Development & Motivation

Personal Development & Motivation

Programs listed below are designed to assist the individual participant in achieving enhanced leadership skills and motivation. All programs include original self-assessments and detailed handouts.

ATHLETES:

How to Empower Athletes to Excel
Whether a captain or a coach you need to be an effective motivator. Learn what it takes to inspire and the various small things you can do to have a large impact.

CAREER:

Potential Impact: Considerations for a Career in Student Affairs Working with students can be an exciting and rewarding career. Learn the various ways to have daily contact with students and the steps to take to land in the “perfect” job in the field of student affairs.

CHANGE:

Remarkable Turning Points
What was it that made the difference? How did you know you didn’t know… or that you were sure? Learn to identify the signs that change is needed in your life and leadership and acknowledge your accomplishments.

You Want Me to Do What? Change Implementation Strategies, 1 to 2 hoursChange this! Not everyone embraces change. How do you get others to buy into it? How do you light a fire under those needed to make change happen? In order to inspire, educate and lead your “team” or group into action you (and your team) need to know more about the Denney Change Theory and how to apply it to your personal or professional needs. This session will present a few strategies on how to implement change and review what conditions are needed in order for others to consider implementing change. Tips on how to motivate others will be shared along with a self-analysis of how well you respond to change. Self-exploration exercises and worksheets help participants understand the “personality” of change.

CIVIC LEADERSHIP:

How to Zing! Your Life and Civic Leadership Gandhi said, “WE must be the change we wish to see in this world.” His words don’t suggest we sit around talking about making a difference in the world, they call us to act. Zing! is the energy it takes to override competing forces to positively influence others towards a greater social good. Leadership is the making of a difference. Zing! represents a mind set for productive, intelligent and compassionate involvement by citizens of all ages, races and beliefs with the reminder one’s vision of the world must be 20/20. Using personal explorations, interactive experiences, stories and shared gifts, audience members will learn what Martin Luther King, Jr. meant when he said, “There comes a time when your silence is betrayal.” Various strategies for thinking globally and acting locally will be presented along with the inspiration to change the world… one person at a time. It’s always Zing! time.

CIVILITY:

Civility, Leadership and College Life Is that your tray left for someone else to pick up? Did you just interrupt your professor? Is it cheating if everyone else is doing it? These are actually questions of character. As college students the expectations for positively contributing to your community include enhancing – not distracting – from a high standard of civility characterized by your integrity, intelligence and inspiration. At the core of your civility are three constructs: compassion, consideration and concept of self. Using humorous examples and a non-judgmental style of presenting, this session offers original ideas around the notion of “courteous and kind” behaviors with assessment tools and original handouts. It is designed to challenge you to fully accept the many contributions you can make to your campus community and why college is “higher” not “lower” education. Watch out! You’ve got potential.

COLLEGE SUCCES:

The Future is Yours to Create! 1 – 3 hoursHey, wake up! This is your life we’re talking about here! Do you find yourself going through your classes, relationships, leadership positions, etc. in the “uninterested student position” where you assume the “Check me off, I’ve shown up” personality ? Do you need a little “kick in the butt?” to re-energize and re-focus on those things in life that are important to you? This session is about YOU and what it takes to motivate yourself into action. Through a host of self-exploration and interactive exercises you will be challenged to consider the meaning IN your life not the often sought after and never found meaning OF your life. You will even be taught the “interested student position” that can change your entire outlook on life. Watch out…. you’ve got potential!

The Now Factors of College Success Perfect for students needing specific strategies on how to self-manage! Don’t leave your college success to chance when you can intentionally plan and act on your future accomplishments. Be good today and tomorrow works itself out!

COMMUNICATION:

It’s Not What You Say, But How You Say It , 1 to 3 hoursWe learn how to communicate at a very early age and then forget to keep learning this highly complicated and significant skill for enhanced happiness and influence. This session allows you to focus on a variety of skill building areas, including: assertion theory, conflict resolution, non-verbal communication, two-way communication, conversations or listening. Learning how to say what you want or what you are feeling and hear what others are saying and feeling is a significant part of this training experience. Wayne Dyer said, “People treat us the way we teach them to treat us.” He is right. This session will challenge you to consider your current level of effective communication and provide you with useful tips on how to be even more effective. Is there room for improvement?

Getting it Right: Gender Differences in Communication
Say what and to whom? Don’t be silly, of course men and women communicate differently. Research on the difference between genders is shared along with important tips on how to hear what isn’t being said, communicate more directly and learn more effective means of interpersonal communication.

Head Games: Internal Dialogues and Inspiration If the only one laughing at your jokes is you, then you understand the significance of “personal dialogues.” Regardless of what you call those conversations that take place in your head, they are powerful. Learn how to replace unhealthy speak with productive language.

Believe Me… It’s You! Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People Is there someone on your staff or in your life that seems hard to “get?” Does everyone else seem to be on the same page – yet this ONE person consistently appears to have their OWN agenda? Wait! Is it possible that YOU are the difficult one? Is it possible that your skills of conflict management and interpersonal communication aren’t as sharp as needed? This practical skill building session will discuss why people are sometimes hard to understand while providing practical tips on how to alter your point of view around confrontation, challenge inappropriate comments and behaviors, and inspire you to see the value in “difficult” people.

Enhanced Communication for ProfessionalismA position of employment where you are paid for a particular level of expertise technically makes you a “professional.” However, are you exhibiting the traits of communication and personal style on a consistent basis so you are perceived “to be professional” by those around you? This session offers “real talk” around enhanced professionalism and offers up five strategies for improvement.

Say IT with Style and Substance: Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Because it’s your job! Because you want more Zing! in your life! Because other people might start to take you more seriously! There are many reasons for becoming more effective at giving presentations or standing behind a podium. From business professionals to educators, from students to CEOs, your ability to communicate publicly is a reflection of your mission, vision and potential leadership. Sharing personal experiences and relevant strategies, the presenter offers up her own tips (not trips) on improving your confidence, competence and learning outcomes as a speaker.

FOLLOWSHIP:

Followship for the Sake of Leadership Too many leaders without any followers makes for great vision without any movement. By understanding why others follow, leaders can more efficiently achieve their vision and accomplish group goals. Using Maxwell’s model of followship, this session encourages discussion around traits that bring others on board, instead of those which lead to a loss of enthusiasm and participation.

INFLUENCE:

ZING! Your Life and Professional Influence Ever notice how some people have “it” and some wonder what “it” is? Have you started to wonder why some people get noticed and you only get passed by and passed up. In a highly humorous and engaging presentation style, Nancy Hunter Denney presents her original Zing! Impact Equation demonstrating it’s never just one thing, rather a combination of the person, environment, skill level and minimization of distractions that determine the level of one’s potential influence or charisma. Zing! is the thing that allows you to “override competing forces to positively influence others.” Zing! is living life and leadership with an exclamation point and comes from the fundamental belief, “the energy you put out there, is the energy you get to draw from.” Within the context of “professionalism” Zing! is the standard effort and attitude needed to be consistently applied in order to effectively accomplish a shared mission. Relevant “insights” ranging from self-inspection to humility offer the road map to Zing! and enhanced happiness. You always know what time it is when you accept your aptitudes as a means of demonstrating your gratitude! From this moment on: It’s Zing! time…

LEADERSHIP:

The Life and Times of Eleanor Roosevelt
An amazing woman way ahead of her time – or was she? Learn about the life and times of this history altering first lady while examining the traits of effective leadership.

MOTIVATION:

Empowering the Powerful When you find yourself doing all the work, it’s not because everyone else doesn’t care – it might be because you care too much!!! This session teaches strategies for delegation, inspiring others and practices of empowering others to work towards something greater. It is everybody’s job, yet nobody gets the work done… until now!

MOTIVATING OTHERS:

Advising for Success: Strategies for Empowerment Tired of hitting your head on the desk? Gotten a bit too much “feedback” lately or feel like your efforts really don’t matter? Learn how to be a more effective supervisor, advisor or mentor by empowering students to own their success, failure and future. Using concepts from First Break All The Rules, the presenter (a former student affairs practitioner turned professional educator) offers various strategies for working with today’s student leaders and professional staffs through an exploration of what truly motivates and encourages productivity, customer satisfaction, profitability and retention.

MOTIVATION:

Life by Design, 1 to 2 hour sBased upon the speaker’s first motivational book, Life by Design, this extended session is about YOU and YOUR life! It is about where you see yourself now (point a) and where you’d like to see yourself in the future (point b). Using a “life” to “house” analogy, the original concepts presented will assist you in identifying your definition of “having it all” and what changes you need to start working on NOW to achieve a “dream” life that for YOU is fulfilling and meaningful. Are you really content with your relationships, communities, job, health, family, financial situation, or career choice – to name a few? Do you control your destiny or do you feel that you’re going through the motions – living everyone else’s definition of “having it all?” Self-exploration techniques will be presented that will assist you in figuring out HOW to make the desired changes in your life not IF you will ever make them. Be careful, there just might be some work to be done on your life!

Make Me! Empowerment and Motivation of Others If the leaders are exhausted, the followers must be sleeping! This is a wake up call to your life and leadership as it stresses the value and necessity in knowing how to motivate others into action. Specific tips on how to bring others into your organizations, life and leadership are shared.

Refreshment Strategies for Advisors We all can use a dose of motivation now and again – so why not those who motivate the motivators? Using a personal approach, advisors of student groups are challenged to assess their current level of motivation and thus effectiveness in working with students. Tips on how to add more fuel to your engine are offered in a humorous and practical manner.

Staying Motivated to Work in Higher Education, 1 or 2 hoursDoes the “Just Expired” sign go up on your forehead every time a student or colleague (maybe even friend, spouse, boss, etc. ) walks into your office? Is it frustrating when you recognize that the methods, practices and policies that used to work effectively just don’t get the same results? Has the push for providing better “customer service” left you wondering where “student development” fits in? This session is designed to allow participants to become re-energized by providing motivational strategies, information about reaching today’s college student and tips on being student consumer oriented. You make a difference.

Taking Care of Business: Motivating Strategies for Life How’s your life going? Parenting, working, running, shopping, dealing with difficult people… the stresses of every day life. Are you in need of a reality check? Take an evening to get into the moment and focus on what needs to be repaired, remodeled, renovated or rebuilt in your life. This “do-it-yourself” approach to bringing back the balance in your life is offered by the author of Life by Design: A Do It Yourself Approach to Achieving Happiness. In an upbeat, inspiring yet content driven program, a five phase process of living the life you want will be shared along with fun self-assessment opportunities and humorous takes on life. Let’s face the first reality – if you aren’t happy or content with your life, odds are you are making the people around you miserable. It’s time to take care of business!

ORIENTATION:

Being an OL for the Fun of it! 1 up to 8 hoursThe OL makes a Difference! Numerous exercises and opportunities for interaction provide participants with the skills needed to be more effective orientation leaders with a better understanding of the issues facing new students and parents. Depending upon the desired length of training, this session covers the profile of new students, communication skills in depth, parent concerns, motivation, and other issues as requested. Team building for OL staffs and how to do ice-breakers for new students is also available.

PROFESSIONALISM:

Enhanced Professionalism in Student Affairs
What’s the bigger picture? What do others see when they see you? This candid sessions takes a look at the true definition and role of professionalism in student affairs while offering strategies for enhanced professionalism.

REPUTATION:

Creating Your Leadership ReputationConsidering the reality: Your reputation arrives before you do! So, what does your reputation have to say about your ability to inspire others towards a common goal? Components coming together to “define” your leadership are reviewed along with numerous self-assessments.

SENSITIVITY TRAINING:

Defining Diversity Differently , minimum 2 hoursIt’s time to move beyond “tolerance” of the different cultures, interests, sexual orientations, races, physical appearances, etc. found in today’s society to “celebrating” such differences. This session challenges individuals to examine their level of understanding of a variety of populations through a host of individual and group exercises and experiences. How to give a caring response to inappropriate behaviors, factual information about the diversity in our lives, and the motivation to become understanding makes this training an essential component of staff development, educational programs and employee enhanced efforts.

TEACHING:

Educating with Style and Substance: How to Better Reach and Teach Students Why does the “do not disturb” sign go up on the forehead of the future? Using a variety of creative teaching methodologies, this session offers ways of making yourself more personally dynamic and magnetic. Just because others are listening doesn’t mean they are hearing your message… but, knowing how to check for comprehension adds to your potential effectiveness.

TRAINING:

Creating Meaningful Leadership Training ExercisesWhat goes into the perfect leadership training experience? How do you design a program, leadership day or retreat weekend with intentional learning outcomes that captivate and teach? This session presents all of the components making effective training experiences and challenges presenters to be creative, yet meaningful.

Engaging and Training Today’s Student and Staff
A few 3×5 cards, puzzle pieces and you’re good to go, right? Wrong. What does it take to attract the attention of your participants while achieving measurable learning outcomes? This hands on training session offers tricks, strategies, style recommendations and format considerations for effectively training and engaging your students and staff members.

TEACHING:

Teaching Tools with Zing! Having to compete with today’s electronics makes teaching and reaching our students difficult. So, what can be done differently to better engage students? How can you change it up and add some spice to your teaching efforts to accommodate a host of learning styles? This session demonstrates, instructs and pulls from the group personal strategies for enhanced student engagement.

WELLNESS:

Fit to Lead: The Necessity of Nourishment and Self-Management
You can’t give what you don’t have. This session reviews various wellness and self-management strategies and offers a self-assessment tool to determine one’s current level of fitness, as well as, relevant stress reduction and self-management techniques which include goal setting, structure setting and organizational skills.

WOMEN:

On Becoming a Successful Woman There’s nothing more powerful than a room of women on a mission! What are the traits that make a female stand out and most importantly, happy? Sharing words of wisdom from women around the country, this session is personal and productive as it speaks to the excellence in knowing one’s potential contributions.